ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
By ZAIDA GLIBANOVIC
Over 300 dancers put on their absolute best performances at the Moe Dance Eisteddfod over the first week of school holidays. The Moe Eisteddfod attracts dancers from across Victoria, from South East Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula, South, East and West Gippsland, Latrobe Valley and surrounds. The competition brings together children and youth from the community to showcase their technique and skills. For eight days dancers of all ages moved their way through Lowanna College’s auditorium in Newborough leaving trails of glitter and hairspray across the halls. The Eisteddfod began Wednesday, April 12, with some impressive dance routines and bustling crowds. The Moe Dance Eisteddfod, now in its 27th year, continues to grow in size and talent. Moe Dance Eisteddfod president Shirley Weir said she was proud of the event. “We have got quite a number of spectacular performers … we’ve got a lot of talent here in the Valley. A lot of them just come here to perform and have fun,” she said. The event saw around 1500 spectators flood through the doors during the eight days, with families and friends coming to support the performers. The Moe Dance Eisteddfod would like to thank its sponsors and volunteers for all their work. “We’ve got about 20 [volunteers] on the committee at the moment … most of us have full time jobs and a lot of us are still mums of dance students and there are some members [who’s] student’s don’t dance anymore but they are more than happy to stay on in the committee,” Ms Weir said. When talking about the future of the event and the recovery post-COVID, Ms Weir said: “The demand is definitely still there”, despite The Sale Dance Eisteddfod on at the same time “a lot of Melburnian’s come over during the holidays because its an event that goes for eight days, unlike the two, three days they are in Melbourne.” The Eisteddfod was judged by an expert eye as the adjudicator was Gippslander Mark Pace, a professional dancer with more than 20 years of experience and the lead classical ballet teacher at the Conservatoire of Lille, France. All the dancers and volunteers deserve a congratulations on another great Moe Dance Eisteddfod.
